By Modupe Gbadeyanka

About N50 million has been disbursed to 100 students enjoying tertiary education scholarship from Airtel Africa Foundation.

Each of the recipients was given N500,000 in their first year of the four-to-five-year academic programmes under the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship Programme.

Airtel Africa Foundation came up with this initiative to support high-performing but financially disadvantaged 100-level students studying technology-related courses in public universities.

The funding package covers tuition, accommodation, stipends, and other essential materials such as laptop computers.

In a statement from the organisation, it was disclosed that the Airtel fellows were selected through an independent process from accredited public universities across Nigeria and are enrolled in courses, including Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others.

Participating institutions in the first batch of the scholarship scheme are the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED).

“We are not just funding education; we are building a pipeline of skilled innovators who will contribute meaningfully to Africa’s digital economy.

“The transparency of this process and the full delivery of our commitment to these 100 scholars are matters of great pride for the Foundation,” the chairman of the foundation, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, said.

Also speaking on the progress, the chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, noted that the initiative reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to empowering the youth through education and digital inclusion.

“At Airtel Nigeria, we believe that the future of our country lies in the hands of our youth. This N50 million disbursement is proof that when we say we are committed to empowering young Nigerians, we mean it fully and transparently. I congratulate every scholar and encourage you to make the most of this opportunity. Your success is our success.”

The Airtel Fellowship Tech Fellowship forms part of the foundation’s efforts to equip African youth with advanced digital and technical skills, within its broader F.E.E.D agenda which focuses on Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental protection and Digital Inclusion. Beyond financial support, the initiative is designed to equip beneficiaries with the skills, mentorship, and exposure required to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Graduation and end-of-session parties have been banned in public and private schools in Ogun State by the state government.

In a circular signed by the Director of Education (Private Schools), on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, A.A. Bisiriyu, it was emphasised schools must adhere to this directive.

“No school owner should organise such gatherings henceforth,” the state government emphasised in the disclosure, warning that appropriate sanctions await defaulters.

It was gathered that this step was taken following allegations that some schools were extorting parents for such ceremonies.

According to the statement, such actions are contrary to resolutions reached during the 2025/2026 pre-resumption stakeholders’ meeting held in September 2025 at Lisabi Grammar School Hall, Abeokuta, the state capital.

The circulated noted, “It is pertinent to state that the state government frowns at organising graduation and end-of-session parties [for pupils and students] in all classes in both public and private schools in the state.”

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed reports alleging that the Nigeria Education Management Information System (NEMIS) suffered a cyber attack, insisting that the platform remains secure and that no data was compromised.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 16, by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, the Ministry described as inaccurate and misleading a report published by a media firm (not Business Post) headlined — Suspected Cyberattack Hits FG’s Education Data Platform.

According to the Ministry, the NEMIS platform was neither hacked nor breached at any time, stressing that the integrity, confidentiality and availability of data on the system remain intact.

The Ministry explained that the warning message encountered by some users was caused by a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate configuration issue at the hosting level, which temporarily affected the platform’s secure access certification.

It noted that the incident was purely technical and did not involve unauthorised access, data loss, alteration of records or exposure of sensitive information.

The Ministry said its technical team, working alongside the hosting service provider, swiftly resolved the issue and restored normal operations, adding that the platform remains fully functional and accessible to authorised users.

It further stated that browser security warnings or SSL certificate alerts should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a cyberattack or data breach, noting that such warnings can arise from routine technical or configuration-related issues.

Reaffirming its commitment to protecting education data, the Ministry said NEMIS remains a critical platform for the collection, management and utilisation of education statistics across the country. It added that robust security measures, continuous system monitoring, infrastructure safeguards and periodic security assessments are in place to ensure the platform’s reliability and security.

The Ministry also highlighted the role of the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), describing it as the Federal Government’s flagship framework for strengthening education data governance, integration, accessibility and evidence-based planning within the sector.

It urged media organisations and members of the public to avoid disseminating unverified information capable of creating unnecessary concern and eroding public confidence in government digital platforms.

The Ministry advised stakeholders to seek clarification through official channels before publishing or sharing claims relating to government digital systems and urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that NEMIS had been compromised.

It reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of information security, digital governance, transparency and accountability in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.